The moment my new neighbor found out I was Chief of Obstetrics at City General, the harassment started. “Dr. Hayes, open up! Something’s wrong—you have to check!” “Are you dead? This baby is special! If anything happens, can you even pay for it?” Three in the morning. My door was hammered so hard the walls shook. It was the sixteenth time this month I’d been woken like this. At first, I thought it was an emergency. I let her in, examined her—only to find her perfectly healthy, just bloated from overeating. But to her, she’d found a free, on-call private doctor. She started demanding nightly check-ups. Between my demanding job and no sleep, I nearly passed out in the OR more than once. I began refusing her. But she was relentless. Every night, without fail, she’d pound on my door—the noise earning complaints from the whole floor. I was at my wit’s end when a post on the community board caught my eye: “Seeking new apartment. Severe insomnia, emotionally unstable. Just beat up my neighbor. Need to move ASAP.” My eyes lit up. I contacted him immediately. 1. He replied almost instantly. We settled on a price, and he said he’d move in next month. I let out a long, slow breath. Finally, someone who could handle my neighbor. When I continued to ignore her, the pregnant woman, Brenda, became even more unhinged. She started shrieking in the hallway. “Lillian Hayes, are you trying to murder me and my baby?” “They say doctors are supposed to be compassionate. You call yourself a doctor?” “I am ordering you to come out and examine me right now, or I’m calling the cops and telling them you’re letting a patient die!” Her screaming was so loud it woke up half the building. The residents’ group chat started blowing up. “Seriously? Again? When is this going to end? Why is there always screaming at this hour?” “Apartments 301 and 302, whatever your issue is, please handle it privately. The rest of us are trying to sleep.” “To the pregnant woman in 302: Have you ever heard of common decency? My son has his SATs coming up, he needs his rest. Could you please be quiet?” Brenda, still lurking outside my door, must have seen the message. Her voice ripped through the hallway again. “What kind of idiot is your son that he’s not pulling all-nighters to study for his SATs? He probably won’t even get into community college.” “The baby I’m carrying is a golden child, a once-in-a-generation miracle! A psychic told me he’s destined for greatness, to be a senator or something.” “If anything happens to him, the worthless lives of everyone in this building couldn’t pay for it!” Her words were so vicious that the parent who had posted the message was furious. They tagged the building management. “Are you people going to do anything about this? Do we pay our HOA fees just to be verbally abused?” The property manager was clearly exasperated. He called me first. “Ms. Hayes, is there any way you can talk to Ms. Jones? Get her to stop the nightly disturbances.” “We’ve tried talking to her multiple times, but she just throws a tantrum every time. We’re at a loss.” I wanted to reason with her, but did Brenda sound like someone who understood reason? “You’d better come up here. I can’t communicate with her either.” I rubbed my temples, a migraine pounding behind my eyes. Just two nights ago, I’d opened the door and told Brenda she needed to go to the hospital for check-ups, not harass me. She had stormed right into my apartment, shouting indignantly. “Easy for you to say! Do you know how much a hospital visit costs?” “The co-pay alone is enough to buy me a week’s worth of groceries. I’m not rich like you.” “My husband works his fingers to the bone at a construction site out of state. Every penny he earns is precious!” Then, as if she owned the place, she’d marched to my medical supply cabinet, grabbed my fetal doppler, and shoved it into my hands, demanding I check the baby’s heartbeat. Before leaving, she’d shamelessly helped herself to a pile of my prenatal supplements. 2. I wanted to snatch them back, but she was holding that huge belly of hers like a shield. If we struggled and something happened, she’d sue me into oblivion. Remembering that, and listening to the rhythmic thump-thump-thump on my door, I wished I could just march out there and slap her. I clenched my fists, taking a deep breath to calm myself. The end of the month was coming. Once the insomniac moved in, we’d see if Brenda still dared to be so arrogant. The property manager arrived quickly. I opened the door to find Brenda, hands on her hips, in full-blown tantrum mode. “What’s it to you if I’m here to see Dr. Hayes for a medical issue?” “Now get lost before you upset my precious son!” The manager gave me a helpless look. “Dr. Hayes, maybe it would be easier if you just did a quick check-up for her. At this rate, nobody’s getting any sleep tonight.” Hearing this, a smug, triumphant look washed over Brenda’s face. “See, Dr. Hayes? You should feel honored that I’m letting you examine my son. I don’t let just anyone touch my belly, you know.” I took another deep breath, keeping my voice polite. “I’m sorry, but I am not your personal physician. I am under no obligation to perform daily check-ups for you.” “The women’s health clinic is two blocks away. You can go there if you need medical attention.” At that, Brenda’s eyebrows shot up. She jabbed a finger in my face. “You’re the Chief of Obstetrics! Why should I pay to go to a clinic?” “You doctors are all the same—heartless scammers. You won’t lift a finger to help someone for free, you just want to trick people into spending money at the hospital.” “I get it now. You must have a deal with that clinic, right? You send them patients and get a kickback!” “I’m telling you, if you don’t examine me right now, I’m putting this all over the internet. We’ll see how long you have a job after that!” I had tolerated her nonsense for weeks, but this was the last straw. “Ms. Jones, let me make myself clear one last time: I will not be examining you. Not now, not ever.” “I have a security camera right here. It recorded every slanderous word you just said. Go ahead, post it online. Let’s see who ends up in jail.” My usual demeanor was calm and professional. This was the first time I had ever lost my temper like this. Brenda was momentarily stunned. After a long pause, she hissed through clenched teeth. “Fine. You don’t have to check on me.” “I have three months left until my due date. That’s about one check-up every other day. You give me twenty thousand dollars for my medical expenses, and I’ll leave you alone.” Her demand left not just me, but the property manager, completely speechless. My breath came in short, angry bursts. “He’s not my child. Why on earth would I pay for your expenses?” Brenda’s voice dripped with entitlement. “You’re a department chief. You must make tens of thousands a month. My husband breaks his back on a construction site for a few grand. You’re rich. What’s twenty thousand dollars to you?” “They say doctors are angels in white coats. If you won’t help me, then you should pay!” Her logic was so twisted it was nauseating. I had lived for decades and never met anyone so utterly shameless. The property manager couldn’t help but intervene. “Ms. Jones, Dr. Hayes is just your neighbor. She has no obligation to pay for your prenatal care…” Before he could finish, Brenda’s shriek cut him off. “What the hell are you talking about? She’s a doctor, she’s supposed to help me!” “You’re taking her side. Are you two sleeping together?” The manager’s face darkened. “I am a married man with a family. Please do not make such baseless accusations!” 3. Brenda rolled her eyes dismissively. “So what if you’re married? Lillian Hayes dresses like a tramp every day. It’s obvious she’s trying to seduce men.” “Who knows how many married men in this building she’s already slept with.” “It’s a good thing my husband works out of state. I wouldn’t feel safe living next to her otherwise.” I work in a hospital. I spend most of my day in scrubs. When I’m not working, my clothes are perfectly normal and modest. I couldn’t fathom how she had twisted that into something so vile. I tried to stay calm, but my heart was hammering against my ribs with pure rage. “Ms. Jones, if you’re going to make accusations, you need proof. You slander me again, and we’ll settle this in court.” Brenda crossed her arms, smirking. “You know whether it’s true or not. I’ve knocked on your door plenty of times when you refused to open it. You must have been hiding a man in there.” “You act all high and mighty, but you’re just a slut.” Her insults grew more and more vulgar. I pulled out my phone and dialed 911. Seeing me actually call the police, a flicker of panic crossed Brenda’s eyes. But then she glanced down at her round belly, and her arrogant expression returned. The police arrived within half an hour. Before I could say a word, Brenda burst into tears, playing the victim. “Officers, you have to help me!” she wailed. “Lillian Hayes, a doctor, is bullying a pregnant woman! My stomach is killing me, I’m dying, and she won’t even look at me! Isn’t that attempted murder?” The officers frowned and turned to me. “What’s going on here?” I didn’t say much. I just played the security footage from my phone. “I am a doctor, but I am not obligated to be her 24/7 free clinic. She harasses me every night and verbally abuses me. I want to press charges.” After watching the video, the officers looked just as fed up as I was. The lead officer addressed Brenda sternly. “Ma’am, your behavior constitutes public disturbance and harassment. Please come with us to the station.” Brenda hadn’t expected this. She started screaming. “Why are you arresting me? Lillian is the one who refused to help a dying woman! You should be arresting her!” One of the officers took out a pair of handcuffs, but as he approached, she threw herself on the floor, clutching her stomach. “Help! The police are trying to kill me! They’re going to kill me and my baby!” She was impossible to deal with. And with the pregnancy, it was a minefield. The officer gave me an apologetic look. “Ms. Hayes, she’s pregnant. We can’t forcibly remove her.” “How about this: we’ll give her a formal warning for now. If it happens again, we’ll file for a court order.” I knew their hands were tied. I could only nod. After that incident, Brenda was quiet for a few days. I finally got some much-needed sleep. Just when I thought she had given up, I came home from work to find the window to my apartment wide open, the reinforced security screen violently torn. I thought I’d been robbed. I rushed inside, only to find Brenda sitting on my sofa, eating a durian. 4. She glanced at me, a look of disgust on her face. “This durian you bought isn’t even ripe. It’s not very good. You should pick a better one next time.” I was stunned. “What are you doing in my house?” I asked, my voice shaking. Brenda answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I ran out of my vitamins. You weren't home, so I had to pry open the window to get them.” I was so furious I could barely speak. “This is my home,” I said through clenched teeth. “This is breaking and entering!” “And what does you running out of vitamins have to do with me? Why are you stealing mine?” Brenda rolled her eyes. “So stingy. How much could this stuff possibly be worth?” “If my son is born unhealthy because he lacked nutrients, could you afford to compensate me for that?” The supplements I had were for my sister, who was trying to conceive. They were expensive, hundreds of dollars a box. I had let the previous thefts slide, but this batch was special. I’d had a friend buy them for me from abroad. There was no way I was letting her take them. I moved toward her to grab the vitamins, but she clutched them to her chest and shrieked. “What are you doing?” “I’m not even asking you for that twenty grand anymore, and you can’t even spare a few boxes of vitamins? You are such a cheap bitch!” She was screaming like a maniac. I couldn’t get near her. My only option was to call the police again. When the officers arrived and saw the scene, they looked exhausted. But this time, it was breaking and entering and theft. They were finally able to haul her down to the station to make a statement. It didn't matter. As soon as she was released, she was back to her old tricks. She even posted a twisted version of the events online. The headline read: “Chief Physician at City General Hospital, Dr. Lillian Hayes, Refuses to Help Pregnant Woman, Repeatedly Conspires with Police and HOA to Bully Her.” The post gained a lot of traction. My hospital’s administration contacted me, demanding to know what was going on and telling me to handle it immediately. I explained the situation to my superiors, then, seething with a rage I could barely contain, I knocked on Brenda’s door. She took her time answering. When she saw me, a triumphant smile spread across her face. “What’s this? Finally decided to come and give me my check-up?” “You’re pathetic. Have to be beaten into submission before you do the right thing.” I shoved my phone in her face. “Did you write this?” I gritted out. Brenda’s lips curled into a smirk. “I did. This is what you get for calling the cops on me. This is your punishment.” Looking at her arrogant, gloating face, I dug my nails into my palms, trying to keep my anger in check. “Take the post down. Now.” She scoffed. “Why should I? Everything I wrote is the truth. Go ahead, sue me!” “It won’t matter. I won’t go to jail, and you’ll be the one whose reputation is ruined.” Conventional methods were useless against a person like this. I gave her one last, cold glare and went back to my apartment. I endured it for three more days. Then, finally, the day my new tenant was scheduled to move in arrived. I hired a moving company and quietly, without a word to anyone, moved out. I had my lawyer handle the online post, and then I threw myself back into my work. Less than a week later, my upstairs neighbor added me on a messaging app, her text urgent. “Dr. Hayes, something terrible happened! That pregnant woman from 302 is in the community courtyard with a huge banner, saying she’s going to sue you for murder!” “What do you mean?” I typed back, a knot of dread forming in my stomach. My neighbor’s reply came back instantly. “You moved out, right? Well, Brenda went over to your place in the middle of the night and started banging on the door. When no one answered, she found a crowbar and started trying to break it down.” “Your new tenant opened the door, snatched the crowbar from her, and beat her with it. She lost the baby, Lillian.” My blood ran cold. “She’s too scared to go after your tenant,” the neighbor continued, “so she’s blaming you. She says you’re the one who killed her baby, and she’s demanding you pay for it!”
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